Greetings, 'ficcers, posters, and friends! For anybody among you who wishes to shoot the breeze with a few of us in real-time chat, the EFFN staff has organized a monthly event called Meet The Founders<MTF. The first of these meetings will take place on Sunday, March 1 at 7 PM (EST).

For the event, we have chosen to use the IRC (Internet Relay Chat) format, and anybody who wishes to attend the meeting and is not familiar with the medium is advised to click this link to get the most common program for accessing it:

The network that has been selected is DynastyNet, and the channel that we are going to use for the meeting is #effn_mtf.

Though MIRC includes extensive on-board help documentation, it can still be a little unfriendly, so I will be more than happy to answer any questions anybody may have. For now, though, here are the basics anybody will need to know:

As soon as you connect to the network, which will be in the default list of networks for MIRC, type /nick, then a space, then the name you wish to use for the meeting. (Be aware that IRC is a little quirky when it comes to which characters it will and will not accept, so pick a name that looks like it came from Earth if at all possible.) To enter the channel, type /join #effn_mtf. If you see a list of familiar ne'er-do-wells, you are in the right place.

We look forward to seeing at least a few of you! Again, if you have questions, please feel free to either post them here or PM them to me.

The second Meet The Founders event will take place on Sunday, April 5 at 7 PM (EDT). Please note that, courtesy of Echtrae, you may now use the EFFN Chat link on the left side of your screen to access the channel without having to download any IRC clients.

The third Meet The Founders event will take place on Sunday, May 3 at 7 PM (EDT). As before, please note that you may now use the EFFN Chat link on the left side of your screen to access the channel without having to download any IRC clients.

The third Meet The Founders event will take place on Sunday, June 7 at 7 PM (EDT). As before, please note that you may now use the EFFN Chat link on the left side of your screen to access the channel without having to download any IRC clients. We hope to see a number of you there!

i]Meet The Founders event will take place on Sunday, July 12 at 7 PM (EDT). As before, please note that you may now use the EFFN Chat link on the left side of your screen to access the channel without having to download any IRC clients. We love talking to our users, so don't be shy, 'kay?

8Meet The Founders[/i] event will take place on Sunday, July 12 at 7 PM (EDT). As before, please note that you may now use the EFFN Chat link on the left side of your screen to access the channel without having to download any IRC clients. We love talking to our users, so don't be shy, 'kay?

The sixth Meet The Founders event will take place on Sunday, August 2 at 7 PM (EDT). That means it is happening now! As before, please note that you may now use the EFFN Chat link on the left side of your screen to access the channel without having to download any IRC clients. We love talking to our users, so don't be shy, 'kay?

The seventh Meet The Founders event will take place on Sunday, September 13 at 7 PM (EDT). As before, please note that you may now use the EFFN Chat link on the left side of your screen to access the channel without having to download any IRC clients. We love talking to our users, so come and see us if you feel social, all right?

The eighth Meet The Founders event will take place on Sunday, October 4 at 7 PM (EDT). As before, please note that you may now use the EFFN Chat link on the left side of your screen to access the channel without having to download any IRC clients. We love talking to our users, so never be afraid to stop and tweak our noses from time to time.

The ninth Meet The Founders event will take place on Sunday, November 1 at 7 PM (EDT). As before, please note that you may now use the EFFN Chat link on the left side of your screen to access the channel without having to download any IRC clients. We love talking to our users, so never be afraid to throw tomatoes at our windows.

The tenth Meet The Founders event will take place on Sunday, December 6 at 7 PM (EST). As before, please note that you may now use the EFFN Chat link on the left side of your screen to access the channel without having to download any IRC clients. You know the schtick by now.

The eleventh Meet The Founders event will take place on Sunday, January 3 at 7 PM (EST). As before, please note that you may now use the EFFN Chat link on the left side of your screen to access the channel without having to download any IRC clients. As before, you know the routine by now, right?

The twelfth Meet The Founders event will take place on Sunday, February 7 at 7 PM (EST). As before, please note that you may now use the EFFN Chat link on the left side of your screen to access the channel without having to download any IRC clients. ... Yes, tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday, but, if you do not like football, you can still hang with a few of us, right?

The thirteenth Meet The Founders event will take place on Sunday, March 7 at 7 PM (EST). As before, please note that you may now use the EFFN Chat link on the left side of your screen to access the channel without having to download any IRC clients. Looking forward to seeing you there!

The fourteenth Meet The Founders event will take place on Sunday, April 11 at 7 PM (EST). (Today may be the first Sunday in April, but it is also a holiday, and I imagine that many of you are currently enjoying dinner with your families.) As before, please note that you may now use the EFFN Chat link on the left side of your screen to access the channel without having to download any IRC clients.

The fifteenth Meet The Founders event will take place on Sunday, May 2 at 7 PM (EST). (#15 already!) As before, please note that you may now use the EFFN Chat link on the left side of your screen to access the channel without having to download any IRC clients. Hope to see a few of you there!